Rebirth By Sleep
by SoulOfAFangirl684
Summary: She took her time in remembering. Her friend... A kindhearted boy who'd wanted so badly to be tough. A soul so pure even the gods had taken notice.
**So, to start off the longest one-shot ever with the longest author's note ever…**

 **Fairly early into watching Noragami, Yukine started to remind me a lot of Roxas, in more than just appearance. But I felt like the Aqua-Terra-Ven dynamic fit what I had in mind for this story a lot better than the Axel-Roxas-Xion one. Other background/influences: Aqua has a very Ghost Whisperer-esque talent. It has a bit of a Noragami bend to it also, but make no mistake. The origins of her gift come from another show. Unfortunately, this site only allows a fic to be marked as a crossover for two fandoms. Also, I found myself listening to** _ **Colors**_ **by Halsey on repeat while writing this one-shot, and I'm sure the influences of that are pretty clear as well, so if you haven't heard it, I suggest you give it a listen at least once. Lastly, I'm sure the title isn't unique. I haven't read a Kingdom Hearts story that goes by this name, but I'm sure one exists. But it was just so, so fitting. Without further ado, I hope you enjoy my Kingdom Hearts/Noragami crossover.**

 **Rebirth by Sleep**

The great irony is, if it wasn't for his father, Terra never would have met Aqua. Xehanort was a mean old bastard with a weakness for alcohol that had only gotten weaker since his wife had died. Terra had been born with a rebellious side that was only growing stronger as the years passed. The two had been at each other's throats practically since the day Terra learned to speak.

This day had provided the perfect atmosphere for a fight. Terra was a teenager now, and today marked the third anniversary of his mother's death.

Xehanort's oldest son had stormed out when their voices could rise no further. He was looking for someone to pick a fight with. He found three.

Terra was outnumbered but enraged. It was only when the other boys were running away, bruised and bleeding, that his adrenaline began to recede. Struggling to stem the blood gushing from his own nose, he finally turned to the girl they'd been harassing.

She appeared dazed but unhurt. Everything about her—from her hair to her dress to her big, watery eyes—was a startling shade of blue. He was able to tell from a glance that she came from the nicer side of town. Those other boys had surely seen it too. What on earth was a little rich girl doing, wandering around the streets of Hollow Bastion? And he asked her just that.

For a moment, the girl just smiled at him. "Thank you for saving me. My name's Aqua."

He was about to point out that she hadn't answered his question when her mouth popped open. "Oh. _You're_ Terra?"

He pulled back suspiciously, as if she'd slapped him. "How do you know that?"

She smiled at him again before finally getting to her feet. Her knees were scraped but not badly. "It's nice to meet you. I've been talking to your mother."

His scowl morphed into a glare. "My mother's dead."

Aqua nodded sympathetically. "I know. Three years today. But her spirit is still trapped here. She needs your help."

Just his luck. The one day he decided to do a good deed… The girl _would_ be a total psycho. He was about to leave her with a few choice words, but she cut him off.

"Your anger worries her. She wants you to know she's sorry."

"Shut up!" he hissed. Something about this girl had taken away his volume, reduced his rage to a harsh whisper. But it was still there. He detested the wise, grounded certainty in her eyes, the sympathetic tone, the very way she held herself. "Don't talk about my mother like you knew her! Who the hell are you?!"

The sympathy and compassion in her gaze increased tenfold. It made her look so much older, though she was more than a head shorter than Terra.

"My name is Aqua," she said again. "I was born with a connection to the Far Shore. My… gift allows me to speak with those who've passed on."

"Oh, it's a _gift_ , is it?" he sneered.

"Sometimes." She was still smiling, but the first hint of sadness had reached those big blue eyes. "The news that a person's loved one is still bound to the Near Shore isn't always… welcome. But that's what I do. I help trapped souls come to peace with their lives so they can move on."

He scoffed cruelly. "You're crazy."

Terra turned to walk away, but she called after him, "Your mother wants you to stop blaming your father for her death."

Aqua's voice was strong. She had more of a backbone than he'd thought. She continued, "He didn't _force_ the pills down her throat. She was depressed."

" _He_ made her that way!" Terra yelled, forgetting himself, whirling back around to face her. "He kept her locked up inside that house, belittling her until she killed herself!"

He was breathing heavily; his eyes were burning.

Aqua still had that sad smile on her face. "Maybe so. But she doesn't blame him."

"Of course not," he spat. "She blames herself, right? Even in death, everything's her fault. She's been dead for three years. She's supposed to be free of him!"

Terra stopped suddenly, pulling back. What was wrong with him, giving in like that, like any of this was real? Any second now, he expected Aqua to start laughing. Or for the doctors down at the psych ward to show up and take her away.

"That doesn't matter now," said Aqua. "She's at peace with the way she died. All she needs now is your forgiveness and to know you'll be okay."

"This is insane!" Yet for some reason, he was still standing before her. "Why should I believe you?"

Aqua paused, and for a moment, he was sure he'd gotten her. But she wasn't stumped. She was listening.

At last, she said, "The day your brother was born, you went to visit her in the hospital. The nurses had to take you away because she took one look at you and started crying, saying she'd made a mistake; she wasn't strong enough to protect you."

Terra had frozen. He felt his blood turning to ice in his veins. There was no possible way Aqua could have known this. Unless…

"She wants you to know she's sorry. She didn't mean _you_ were a mistake."

Aqua had finally hit her mark. The first tear had marked a path down his face before he even knew it was there. He'd never told anyone about that day. He'd held on to that memory, kept it close, refusing to let anyone else in on the shame and heartache it had dredged up inside of him. Not even his father knew why he'd been waiting out in the hallway and not at his mother's beside when he'd finally come up. It had been their secret… And it had become his secret when his mother had died.

"She… She's here?"

Aqua nodded. "Most people cross over right away, but sometimes, when a spirit still has a strong connection to the realm of the living, they get stuck here. Your mother can sense your anger. She needs to know you're going to be okay before she can move on."

Terra covered his face with his arm, roughly wiping away his tears. As he did so, he felt the lightest of touches pass through his hair. It could have been a stray breeze… but Terra knew better. Even after three years, he could recognize his mother's touch.

"Yeah, of course." He forced his voice not to tremble. "I'll be fine. And I'll take care of Ven, too. We'll both be just fine."

Aqua was beaming at him when he finally looked up. "She's gone," she told him, but she needn't have bothered. He knew. He'd felt his mother's presence fade away, replaced by a fleeting warmth.

 **…**

Sometimes when a person comes into your life, you just know they'll be in it for the long haul. So Terra wasn't surprised to see Aqua again a week later, helping a very superstitious old woman whose husband had passed recently.

She looked pleased to see him and didn't hesitate to accept his invitation to join him for ice cream. Because all they really had in common was their one encounter and Aqua's gift, they got to talking about the old woman she had just been speaking to.

"I imagine she took it a lot better than I did," he said at last, a little sheepishly. It was as much of an apology as she was going to get, and Aqua seemed to understand this.

She sent another one of those understanding smiles his way and said, "Don't feel bad. Most people react the way you did."

It was only once they'd settled into an ice cream-filled silence that Terra worked up the courage to ask what had really been weighing on his mind. "So… she's really gone now."

Aqua didn't have to ask who he was talking about. She nodded. "The barrier between the Near and Far Shores is thin, but only one way. It's a lot easier for a spirit to make the journey than it is to come back. I believe it's because they don't belong on this side of things anymore. The universe does its best to keep itself in balance."

It was times like this, talking serenely about ghosts in the middle of an ice cream parlor, that Aqua still seemed a little crazy. Terra wasn't a superstitious person. He hadn't previously believed in _any_ sort of afterlife. But even he knew he hadn't imagined his mother's presence. And he didn't believe Aqua was some sort of vengeful sorceress, either, so that didn't leave him too many options.

"So… this _Far Shore_ … is it like… heaven?"

He watched the girl deliberate for a minute, trying to find the right words. "Well, I've never seen it, of course, but I don't believe it's heaven or hell… Some people believe the Far Shore greets everyone differently—you know, the way it looks depends on what the person believed when they were alive. And then there are other stories that say it's not just the afterlife; it's the realm of the gods, too."

Terra scrunched up his nose skeptically. One step at a time. He was just getting used to believing in _ghosts_. Gods… That was a bit much.

"Whatever _is_ on the other side… I'm sure your mother is happy now."

There was a moment of silence. At last, Terra snorted bitterly, "It's more than she deserves… My mother was a selfish coward. And I _don't_ forgive her."

If he'd expected Aqua to be shocked or disappointed, he wasn't rewarded. She just smiled and said, "You did a good thing, Terra. It was what she needed to hear."

Terra was quiet. And Aqua was unobtrusive. She left him alone with his thoughts. This was just something he would have to come to terms with for himself.

 **…**

Terra never would have imagined he would be cool with spending so much time with Aqua. She was three years younger than him—practically _Ven's_ age—but something about Aqua made her seem so much older. He wasn't sure if it was the way she spoke, or that worldly look she got in her eyes, or just the very air she carried about herself, but something about her made this new friendship work.

Though not everyone seemed to feel this way. Terra ignored the first few rude remarks about his new friend. It was only once Seifer made a crack about "robbin' the cradle" _in Aqua's_ _presence_ that Terra snapped back.

"You didn't have to do that, you know," Aqua told him as they walked back. "I can handle a few mean words. You may not have noticed, but being the 'ghost girl' doesn't make a person too many friends."

Terra shook his head, only making the front of his shirt look worse than it already did. He pressed the back of one hand to his still-bleeding nose. His voice was stuffed up and muffled, but he tried to explain.

"Whether or not you can handle it isn't the point. Alliances out on these streets are important. I need to know they respect me. And that means they don't get to question who I spend my time with."

He would have gone on, but something distracted him. What she could see of his face contorted in annoyance. "You've gotta be kidding me. _Ventus_!" he all but roared.

Aqua followed his gaze to see three young boys standing on the street corner. They all jumped at the sound of Terra's voice. The younger boys didn't move as they came closer, but the blond one's shoulders slumped with dread.

"Zack, Lea, get lost," Terra ordered in a cold voice. The other two cast quick looks at Ventus before making a smooth retreat.

The boy who was left resembled Terra a little… though only if you looked for it. Different coloring but similar facial features. Ven's scowl was undermined a little by a baby face Aqua suspected he would not outgrow. The younger boy held himself stiffly, clearly trying to look a lot more intimidating than he actually was. Which was having no effect on Terra, of course.

"Ventus," he growled menacingly. "What are you doing out here? I _told_ you to stay away from this part of town."

" _You're_ out here," his younger brother shot back. "And you're not Dad."

This was exactly the wrong thing to say. Terra's eyes flared like someone had just lit a candle in the back of his skull. He grabbed his younger brother roughly and hissed, "Yeah, you're right, I'm not Dad. You think _Dad_ gives a shit whether you get knifed on some street corner or beat up in some back alley? You think _Dad_ cares that you could get arrested 'cause you want to hang around with a delinquent and his little pyro?"

Ventus remained silent, but he gave Terra a pointed look. The blood on Terra's shirt and that fact that Lea's brother—who was an even bigger pyro—was part of Terra's crowd wasn't exactly helping to reinforce his words. But Ven wasn't dumb. He could recognize a losing battle. Aqua couldn't help but smile as he sulkily turned to head home.

"That's sweet," she said when Ventus was gone, causing Terra to grumble something incoherent. "Do you really think you can stop him, though?"

"Not forever," Terra sighed. "I mean, I'm not an idiot. Finding a group you can rely on, toughening up… It's the only way anyone ever survives these streets. But for now… he's _nine_ , Aqua. It's not a game."

She smiled again, and he remembered suddenly that Aqua was only ten. His friends had every right to look at her and see a kid. She _was_ still a kid. Even if that wise look in her eyes sometimes made him suspect otherwise. She seemed too impartial and worldly and _good_ to still be considered a kid.

And ultimately, this was why their friendship worked. Though he was older and more experienced, Terra would find Aqua mothering him from time to time. And frankly, he didn't really mind. She made him feel like more than just another kid from a rough neighborhood with a bad attitude. She made him feel like he was worth something.

 **…**

Aqua didn't spend much time roaming the streets of Hollow Bastion, but it wasn't long before she was very familiar with the dynamics of Terra's gang. And she came to understand his speech that day. Axel was older, Rai was bigger, Seifer was edgier, but it was Terra they looked to as a leader. It wasn't hard to see why. He was an angry guy… but he could keep his head cool in a crisis. There was just something about him that made others sit up and listen.

Likewise, Terra didn't participate in much "ghost stuff." Occasionally, Aqua would have stories to share of the people she'd helped, but mostly, she relished her time with Terra because it gave her a feeling of what it was like to be normal. And Terra enjoyed the company of someone he didn't have to be careful about being seen in public with.

In fact, after the early incidents with Aqua and the other boys, the two halves of Terra's life were blissfully separate. Until, suddenly, they weren't.

At the age of fifteen, Terra had long ago learned to recognize the signs that foretold he would be encountering something less than pleasant at home. So when he walked in to find the house dark, the violent sounds of some televised professional fighting event blaring, he knew it was going to be bad. The smell of alcohol reached him before he could even see his father.

Sure enough, Xehanort turned cold eyes on Terra the second he walked into view. The man liked to remain just lucid enough for his cruelty to be coherent. And he was looking for a fight.

"I hear you've been palling around with the witch's daughter," Xehanort started in without preamble. "They're crazy, you know, that whole family."

 _Where have you been for the past two years?_ Terra felt like asking. His friendship with Aqua was nothing new. But he didn't feel like making this conversation any longer than it had to be.

"She's not crazy," Terra responded shortly. But of course that couldn't be the end of it.

"The mother was the daughter of some crackpot inventor," his father went on viciously. "Grew up in this very neighborhood. Used to try to tell people she could talk to the _dead_."

This time, Terra didn't respond. Xehanort shouted something after him as he walked away, but his son wasn't listening. He moved quickly through the house, gathering provisions for yet another night spent away from home. He only stopped when he found Ven sitting out on the back steps.

A bruise had already blossomed on his cheek, angry and purple. Which meant their father had been at it all day. He'd figured as much, but Terra sighed anyway.

He ducked back inside just long enough to wrap up a handful of ice in a washcloth and passed it to his brother on his way out, calling over his shoulder, "You might want to stay at Lea's tonight."

Aqua had been right, as he'd known she would be. At eleven, Ventus was already wrapped up in his own realm of delinquency. It just came with the territory.

But, though he'd never admit it, there was still a softer side to Ventus. He was still able to see the good in people. For kids like Ven, even in a place like Hollow Bastion, there was hope for a better future.

 **…**

Aqua found in a similar position a year later. She was crossing their yard when she spotted him in the shadows, leaning up against the house. He was sporting bruises on his upper arms and jawline. There was a dark, suspicious look in his eyes but something hesitant about his posture. Just as she'd expected, he hadn't grown out of his childish features.

"Ven," she called softly, though he'd already seen her.

The boy reluctantly stepped into the sunlight, making his injuries look even more garish. She moved to skim her fingers over the one on his jaw, but he jerked away.

Aqua sighed but didn't push it. "Have you seen Terra?"

Ventus shrugged. "Not today."

"I heard the police have been harassing him for something Seifer did. Do you know what happened?"

Ven shrugged again, eliciting another sigh from Aqua. "I keep telling him to stay out of trouble. He _just_ got out of juvie; they won't be so lenient next time."

"That's just how it works, Aqua. He's the face of the gang. Sometimes that means taking the fall for something so the other members can stay anonymous."

She gave him a small, measured smile and ruffled his hair faster than he could jump away. "You sound so grown up, talking about gang politics like that."

He shot her a sharp, dimly betrayed look. "I'm not a kid! Older than Terra was when he met Axel."

Axel, Aqua knew, had been the ringleader before he'd spotted someone more willing to take on that responsibility. Terra's gang consisted of a bunch of thieves and delinquents. Angry, underprivileged boys who didn't feel like they had any other options than to lie and cheat and steal their way through this world.

She wasn't sure how she felt about Axel. Aqua had only met him a handful of times. The older boy had reminded her a little of Terra, charismatic and capable. But there was something deceitful about him, too. He wasn't the kind of guy a person could rely on. But he was smart, and he had to be at least 20 by now. She couldn't help thinking that he could be doing something more with his life.

"Aqua?" She looked up, yanked out of her thoughts. An odd expression had appeared on Ven's face. "Is it true that you can see ghosts?"

"Earthbound spirits," she corrected automatically. She'd come to dislike the connotations associated with the word 'ghost' over the years. She had enough trouble getting people to trust her as it was. "Why?"

Suddenly, he wouldn't meet her eyes. "Do you ever… see my mom?"

For a moment, she could only stare at him, unsure how to respond. At last she replied, "No… I don't."

 **…**

"I can't believe you never told him!"

Terra sighed, running a hand through his hair. Aqua wouldn't free him of her accusatory gaze. It was the closest to anger he'd ever seen her.

"Look, Ven barely remembers Mom, and I want it to stay that way."

She had finally caught up with Terra in town. He hadn't changed much over the years. He'd gotten taller, and his muscles had filled out a bit. He now had a scar tracing the length of one cheek and an even more weathered look in his eyes. But Aqua still possessed the ability to make him feel like a child.

Her eyes softened, but only a little. "He has a right to know, Terra. She was Ven's mother, too."

"She was a selfish coward who abandoned her children," Terra all but spat. "She left us to fend for ourselves with that monster!"

"You should talk to him," she insisted.

"Can we not do this right now?" he asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

She sighed, giving in. For now. "How have you been?"

He laughed darkly. This wasn't a conversation he wanted to be having either. "I'd be a lot better if I didn't work with guys who like to vandalize shit just for fun. Or at least if they were better about not getting caught."

The way Aqua's mouth twisted, he knew she was fighting the urge to nag him. He also knew her willpower wouldn't last.

"Don't you think it's about time to appoint a new fall guy?" she began carefully. "You're sixteen now, Terra. You could be tried as an adult."

He sighed for what felt like the millionth time. He felt exhausted. Aqua was great, and he knew she was only trying to help, but…

There were some things she just didn't get, and he didn't have the energy to try and explain them to her.

Their food chain depended on respect. Maintaining his place at the top ensured he didn't have to do stupid, illegal shit to prove himself. This life was a means of survival for him. Affiliation with Axel had made the streets a slightly safer place for him and his brother. Sometimes, Terra's thieving efficiency was the only thing that saved them from starving when Xehanort's drinking _really_ interfered with his ability to work.

Terra didn't take unnecessary risks. But he and Aqua didn't always agree on the definition of 'necessary.'

His prolonged silence announced their stalemate. She rose to leave and said with one last look, "Just be careful, Terra. You're all he's got."

He waited until she was out of earshot before muttering, "You think I don't know that?"

 **…**

He tried. He really did.

Terra returned home for the first time since his trial that very night. His father had already passed out, and the house hadn't changed much, but one look at Ven told him that Xehanort's temper had only gotten worse in his absence.

He paused in the doorway to his brother's room, taking a moment to push down his rage. At last, he said, "It's late… Don't tell me you plan to sleep with the lights on."

Ventus wouldn't meet his eyes, and Terra resisted the urge to tease him. It was hard to stop seeing Ven as a kid when he was still afraid of the dark.

"You're back," he said without looking up. It was hard to read his tone.

"I am," Terra confirmed, sitting down on the other end of his bed. There was a moment of silence before Terra frowned. "Why do you keep coming back here, Ven? Why do you keep letting him do this to you?"

His brother wouldn't answer, and Terra was struck with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He'd known his brother was too good for this life… but the kid honestly believed their father could change. It was a little pathetic. Seriously, did he have _no_ sense of survival? But overshadowing this was just an overwhelming sadness. Terra could barely put a name to the feeling.

The silence was just long enough to be uncomfortable. Ven was starting to feel a little bitter about his brother's return. Terra always seemed to know exactly what he was thinking. No weakness remained private.

"It's time to grow up, Ven," Terra said at last. "You want to be treated like an adult, I need to know you have enough common sense to keep yourself alive."

"I'm still here, aren't I?" his brother muttered testily in response. It was a very pointed response. Terra couldn't forget in that taking one for the team, being sent away to a juvenile detention center, he'd left Ven to fend for himself.

At last, Terra got to his feet with an incoherent grumble. This meeting hadn't gone the way he'd wanted it to. Somehow, no matter his intentions, every conversation with Ventus turned into a fight.

Terra lingered for a second longer before leaving Ven alone once more. His brother watched him go.

 **…**

As time passed, things got better… and worse. Xehanort had increasingly less patience as his sons grew older and drifted further away. Aqua began to see less of Terra and more of Ven. The elder brother seemed to be trying to shield them from the harsh realities of his life, and the younger still had not been accepted as a full member of Terra's gang. But at the very least, the three of them had settled into their new dynamic very comfortably, and a certain optimism had settled in with them.

"Cheer up, Ven. You're fourteen today."

Aqua was smiling at him and appearing altogether too cheerful. At fifteen, Aqua was starting to look more like a woman. Ven, on the other hand, still resembled a child. In fact, his grimace was dangerously close to a pout.

"Are we just giving up on Terra, then?"

"Of course not. He'll be here." She'd already set out the cake before him, sloppily frosted a bright blue.

She was starting to worry, though. Terra knew she'd been planning this little celebration. They'd all needed something to cheer them up lately.

"Yeah, sure…" Ventus mumbled, unconvinced.

"Terra loves you, Ven," Aqua told him firmly, and he looked away. The brothers' relationship was the unspoken kind. Only Aqua was so bold about it. He only looked back up when he heard her exclaim, "Terra!"

Ven was out of his seat a second later. Terra was clutching one arm with a grimace, not quite managing to cover the jagged slash. Blood was running over his fingers, and Aqua had already dashed off to find a tourniquet. Ven was frozen, unsure what to do.

"Sit down," Terra said roughly, falling into a chair himself. Aqua returned and rushed to wrap it as tightly as possible around his arm.

"Are you sure you're doing it right?" Ven asked as Terra hissed in pain.

"I don't know; I'm not a doctor!" she shot back, looking uncharacteristically panicked. "Terra, you're going to need stitches."

"No," he ground out through his teeth. "No hospitals."

"Don't be stupid," Ven practically spat. "You're not going to bleed to death in your own kitchen like you had no other options!"

Eventually, they did manage to persuade Terra out the door. They ran into Axel before they'd even crossed the yard. He'd come looking for Terra, but whatever he'd wanted was wiped from his mind when he saw the state of his friend. Axel readily gave them a ride to the hospital, a tense, illegally fast ride. Aqua didn't even want to know where he'd gotten the car. Though Axel was bruised and bleeding himself, he wouldn't go in with them. In fact, he barely said a word the whole time he was with them.

The hospital in Hollow Bastion was crowded and in need of some serious funding. The nurses were overworked but competent. The one working on Terra was stern and wouldn't let Aqua and Ven into the room while she stitched him up.

"I guess we'll just have to celebrate your birthday when we get home," Aqua said as they sat on the bench outside, watching the flurry of activity in the corridor.

Ven made a scoffing sound, but there was a haunted look about his eyes.

"Do you know what happened?" she asked gently.

He shook his head slowly. "No… I mean… Terra gets into fights all the time."

But he'd never been seriously injured before. They were both getting restless. Time was dragging, and Aqua had never been a huge fan of hospitals. Especially ones like this. There was so much confusion and crowding among the living… Recently deceased souls tended to be a little jumbled even in peaceful settings.

Ventus had just turned the corner in search of a vending machine when the nurse emerged from Terra's room.

"He can go as soon as you're ready," was all she said, hustling off to someone else's emergency.

Terra was just sitting up as Aqua walked in, his arm freshly stitched. He looked pale but clearheaded. He had refused any pain medication.

"How are you feeling?"

He sighed. "I'm fine, Aqua. Where's Ven?"

"He went to go look for something to eat. I'm sure he'll be back soon. …What is it, Terra?"

He glanced at the doorway before saying quietly, "Lea's dead, Aqua." She gasped, but he continued before she could say anything, "Let me tell Ven, all right? But first, I need to find Axel."

"Don't be stupid," she scolded as he got to his feet. "You need to go home and rest."

But Terra wasn't budging. "I know you saw the way Axel looked today. He's gonna be out for blood, and he's not thinking straight. I can't just sit back while he goes and gets himself killed, too."

They both went silent a second later when Ven walked in, but the tense air between them remained. The younger boy looked from one to the other. "What's going on?"

"You're going home," his brother replied shortly. "I'll be back later."

Ven's eyes narrowed. "You just got back. Where are you going now?"

But Terra had already pushed past him out the door, throwing a careless, "Happy birthday," over his shoulder.

Ventus turned to Aqua next, waiting to be filled in. And she really did consider going against Terra's wishes and telling him about Lea. But Aqua wasn't a spiteful person, and that wasn't the way to tell someone about the death of their childhood friend. So she forced a smile and pushed down her worry.

"Come on, let's go eat that cake."

 **…**

It wasn't a bad cake, but they didn't have much of a celebration, either. Even without the specifics, Ven knew _something_ was going on, and Terra's absence hung over them like a heavy cloud, threatening rain.

Xehanort arrived home just as the stars were coming out. There had still been no word from Terra. The boys' father did little more than grunt in their general direction before moving on further into the house.

"That wasn't so bad," Aqua said after a moment of silence. In truth, any day Xehanort was 'well' enough to go to work couldn't be too bad.

"Yeah…" Ven mumbled. "That's 'cause he hasn't gotten the hospital bill yet."

 **…**

Later, she would hardly be able to fathom how quickly it all went downhill. It started that very night, as she was walking home. It was dark, but as she turned a corner, she saw a very distinctive flash of red.

Aqua stopped immediately, straining her eyes for another glimpse, but he was gone. For a moment, Aqua stood frozen, trying to control the dread working its way into her heart. Had that been Lea… or Axel? They were too similar in appearance to tell from just a glance.

But if it _was_ Axel's spirit roaming the streets… Where was Terra?

She could have backtracked… shared her fears. But there was no point in worrying Ven too. Her instincts were usually spot on… but she found herself hoping this was the first time her intuition led her astray. It had been a stressful day. Perhaps she _was_ reading too deeply into things. At any rate, there was no point in making the kid's birthday any worse. Especially when she had no proof.

Aqua managed to maintain this fragile optimism, even as she heard the sirens shortly before reaching the town's border. Hollow Bastion was a rough place, she told herself. Terra wasn't _necessarily_ involved. There were so many other possible emergencies the police could be rushing to.

Aqua was normally a very grounded person. But that night, she filled her head with every deludingly optimistic thought she could find. It was just what she needed to hear.

 **…**

These delusions of happiness were shattered early the next morning upon receiving a frantic call from Ven.

"Aqua! Terra's been arrested!"

Her heart sank. She'd expected as much, but she'd allowed herself to get her hopes up.

"I'll be right there."

Aqua hung up the phone only to find her mother standing behind her. Belle had aged well given the stress she'd had to endure. Aqua's mother had been much more… open with her talent in her youth, and it had often led to ridicule. But she'd fallen in love… with the other village outcast, (albeit a _rich_ village outcast) and they'd been happy. But Aqua's father had died shortly after her birth, and Belle had been left to raise their equally… gifted daughter.

Overall, Aqua's relationship with her mother was good, but the silence between them now was tense. At last, Belle said, "You're going to see those boys again, aren't you?"

"Yes." They hadn't spoken about Terra and Ven in abundance. This seemed odd, all of a sudden. They were such a big part of her life, after all. Her only real friends.

Belle had never met the brothers, and she'd never been openly disapproving of them… But just because it wasn't obvious didn't mean the disapproval wasn't there. It was times like this that made Aqua uncomfortable. Times when her mother was clearly holding something back.

Her mother fixed her with one of those sad, overly-understanding looks that drove the boys crazy. It wasn't often Aqua had to fend one off herself. "You can't save everyone, Aqua… I don't want you to get hurt."

"They're not going to hurt me," Aqua claimed adamantly.

"Not intentionally," her mother agreed sadly. But she didn't try to stop her daughter from rushing to their rescue.

 **…**

Aqua met Ventus just inside the police station. He jumped up immediately when he saw her. The officer behind the desk barely glanced up.

"He's still here?" she asked.

"Of course." Ven was fighting a valiant battle, but his tears were a worthy competitor. "Dad doesn't have the money to pay bail, and he probably wouldn't even if he did."

"He was arrested for fighting?"

Ventus bit his lip. "He… They said he killed someone, Aqua. And Lea and Axel… They're both—"

She cut him off with a hug. "Oh, Ven… I'm so sorry."

They broke apart at the sound of a throat being cleared. An older cop stood before them, the detective in charge of Terra's case. He looked worn-out despite it being so early into the day. This was a man who'd seen a lifetime of Hollow Bastion's violence. It was finally starting to permanently tire him out. He didn't seem to have the energy to be strict.

"The cells here are only meant for temporary holding. Your brother will be moved shortly. If you'd like to go back and visit before he's transported, I won't stop you."

Neither of them missed the implications in his words—that Terra's imprisonment wouldn't be temporary. They were silent as they walked down to the holding area. The guard at the stairway wasn't sympathetic, but bored. It had been a slow night. Terra was his only charge who wasn't doped up on something, and he wasn't much entertainment at the moment.

In fact, he wouldn't even look up at first when Aqua and Ven came to stand outside his cell. He looked too defeated to only be eighteen. It bothered Aqua… but she could tell it was disturbing Ven more.

"So that's it?" Ven said at last, his voice shaking. "All that talk about common sense, and here you are in a jail cell! What the hell, Terra?!"

The guard looked up as Ven's voice rose, but he didn't move. Terra barely reacted. When he finally did raise his head, they could see another knife slash crossing through the scar he already had, but he didn't appear seriously hurt otherwise.

"What happened?" Aqua asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Terra heaved a heavy sigh. "About what I figured… Axel went after the guy who stabbed Lea. He was out of his mind with rage… He was going to get himself killed. I had to help him."

"A lot of good you did," Ven muttered bitterly. "He's still _dead_ , isn't he?"

"Ven," Aqua said beseechingly, but Terra didn't even address his brother's rudeness.

"I didn't even realize the other guy had a gun until it was too late… but I was on him the second he pulled the trigger." There was a grim sort of satisfaction in Terra's voice.

For the first time, Ventus lost his grip on his anger. He glanced nervously at the guard, who still appeared bored. He hissed, "Be quiet! What if they—"

"It doesn't matter who hears me, Ven," Terra interrupted. "There were surveillance cameras in that warehouse. They have it on video. And we don't have the money for a lawyer." He looked defeated… but he looked a little relieved too, and if possible, that was most worrisome of all.

 **…**

Ven ran out of that police station faster than Aqua could stop him. (The guard remained nonplussed.)

"Wait," Terra said before she could run after him. Aqua turned back to the boy in the cell. "I need you to promise you'll look after Ventus for me."

The look in his eyes was the most intense it had been throughout their entire meeting. And this only served to send a renewed burst of pain shooting through her. Weakly, she protested, "Terra… You can't give up—"

"Promise me, Aqua," he interrupted firmly.

She deflated a little. "Of course, Terra. I promise."

 **…**

But now she was starting to wonder how on earth she was supposed to keep such a promise. Ven may have been good at heart… but he'd always been a little wild in his efforts to prove himself. If his own brother hadn't been able to keep him in line, how could he expect her to?

She was struggling herself. The three of them had had their own unique little group dynamic going on for so long, it was hard to imagine how two could function when one was taken away. How were they going to get along without Terra? He'd always treated them like they were young and naïve, and perhaps they were.

She stopped when she spotted Ven standing at the end of the next street. She could see his hands clenched into fists at his sides, his blond head ducked down.

"Ven," she called. He turned slowly as she closed the distance between them. There was anger and pain in his eyes, but the tears at least were successfully suppressed.

It wasn't easy, but she didn't look away. She could see all of her own worries reflected in his eyes. A part of her wanted nothing more than to fall apart, but she'd made Terra a promise.

Aqua forced a smile and struck out impulsively. She grabbed both of his hands in hers, smoothing out his fists. The anger in his eyes dulled to more pain. "It'll be okay, Ven. We'll all be okay."

 **…**

It was hard to tell if he believed her. It was hard to determine if she'd believed _herself_ , even briefly. At any rate, it was starting to feel like an empty promise.

Mayor Saix had been newly appointed about a month earlier, hailed for his firm stance on the crime situation in Hollow Bastion. And he was making good on his claims. The justice system was running more efficiently than ever before. Terra's trial was held in record timing—just a week after his arrest. Murder cases were the highest priority.

Aqua wasn't allowed in the courtroom, but she had no doubts as to the verdict when Ven came rushing out. He didn't even stop to talk to her. Head down, he sprinted the length of the hallway. Security guards shouted after him, but he was out the door a second later, running back to the familiar streets that had now taken first his best friend's life and now his brother's freedom. And no one tried to stop him.

Aqua turned back to the doorway, where other civilians were now filing out, chatting amongst themselves. At the front of the room, Terra, already handcuffed, was being led out through a side door. He didn't turn to look her way, and she couldn't see his expression. At last, he was out of sight, and she moved to stop blocking the main doorway.

There was a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she walked out of the courthouse. She vowed to find out where he was being held and visit as soon as possible.

A flash of red out of the corner of her eye stopped her planning abruptly. Sure enough, she turned to see Lea's spirit standing just a few feet away.

"Lea!" she exclaimed. Too loudly. Several living people turned to stare. When they'd gone back to their own lives, she whispered, "What are you doing here?"

She hadn't seen Axel _or_ his brother at all in the past week. She'd assumed he'd moved on of his own accord.

But one look in Lea's eyes told her he was far from at peace. He didn't answer her question. Instead he said urgently, "Aqua. It's Ven. He's at the school. You have to stop him." And he was gone before she could ask him a single question.

The shoes and dress she'd worn to look respectable in court were not made for running, but she took off anyway, adrenaline coursing through her veins. This time she paid no heed to the people who stared as she passed by.

She heard a strangled sort of scream just before rounding the last corner, followed by the unmistakable sound of breaking glass. Aqua quickened her pace. Sure enough, when the school came into sight so did Ven, baseball bat in hand. She watched, trying to catch her breath, as Ven ran the length of the building, smashing all the windows as he went.

It was a Saturday afternoon. School wasn't in session; even the sports teams had cleared out for the day. But no school was ever completely empty, and it was the now-familiar sound of police sirens that jolted Aqua back into action.

She sprinted down the hill, grabbed the younger boy's arm, and used her momentum to pull him along after her. Ventus hadn't seen her coming. He wasn't prepared enough to put up a fight, and soon they were both running. The bat was abandoned down one of the many backstreets and alleyways they weaved through in their hurry to get as far from the school as possible.

At last, they stopped. The sirens and the destruction and the danger had been left behind, but heartbreak wasn't something a person could outrun. They finally turned to face each other, long-overdue tears running down both of their faces.

She grabbed his hands and they just stood there for a moment, heads bent together, unable to speak. She tried to reassure him, but he caught his breath first.

"Don't," he choked out. "Don't try to tell me everything's gonna be okay, Aqua! Terra's gone! He's gonna be locked up until he's forty! How the hell are we supposed to get along without him?"

He'd voiced all of her own worries, and now she needed to find some way to answer them. But Aqua had had a week and a frantic police escape to pull herself together. She'd spent her life trying to help grieving people come to terms with tragedy. What good was all her experience if she couldn't help her own family?

"It will be okay, Ven," she said as firmly as she could manage through her own tears. "From now on, we're just going to have to help each other. You're _strong_ , Ven. This is just one more challenge. And we're both going to get through it, okay?"

 **…**

At the time, she'd really believed it. Ven let her console him, promised not to pull another stunt like he had at the school, and headed home for the night. They would reconvene in the morning.

But there were two events to occur that night that Aqua was not prepared for. News of his elder son's incarceration reached Xehanort at around the same time the hospital bill for the stitches finally arrived. And it was not in the man's nature to handle stress well.

Aqua arrived at Ven's house early the next morning. It was a very gray day. The sun had not quite managed to peek through the clouds. The house looked even darker than usual.

There was an irritable-looking neighbor standing on the lawn next door. Aqua had never seen her before. Hollow Bastion wasn't the type of place where people could afford to be nosy. But today this woman didn't seem to have any reservations about directing her grim gaze into other people's business.

"You just missed the ambulance," she said at last in a weathered, cynical voice. Her tone held the kind of finality that made the hairs on the back of Aqua's neck stand up.

"What?" It came out so quietly, the woman didn't even hear her. Louder, she asked, "Is he going to be okay?"

Because who else could it have been for but Ven? It was too much to hope that Xehanort's liver had finally failed him. Her heart was beating so quickly, she couldn't even feel bad for wishing harm on someone else. She could hear a roaring in her ears. An ambulance would be coming for _her_ soon if she didn't get an answer—

"He's going to die."

And just like that, it all stopped. There was a silence brought on by the confidence in her assessment.

"You can't know that!" Aqua burst out. Her own voice filled not with confidence, but with anger-laced hysteria.

The neighbor set her harsh gaze directly upon the young girl before her. "No one walks away from a beating like that."

She turned to trudge back up her own front steps, but Aqua was already running in the opposite direction. Ven couldn't be dying; it just wasn't possible! What did that crabby old woman know? She didn't have a medical degree, did she? And even if she did, she couldn't have gotten more than a glance at him as the paramedics were rushing him out of the house, right? He _couldn't_ be dying… She'd promised Terra…

She was standing in the hospital lobby before her mind had stopped racing. The woman behind the desk gave her an openly critical once-over. Aqua knew she must look insane.

And in the end, there was no reason for her to have sprinted to the hospital. The woman behind the desk couldn't give her any information on Ven. He wouldn't be officially checked into their system until he was given a room, and updates on his condition would only be given out to immediate family.

The hospital secretary became a little more sympathetic as the hours passed and Aqua remained seated in the lobby, glum and defeated. She brought her a tray of bland hospital cafeteria food around midday, but other than that, there was little either could do but sit and wait. The day was oddly slow. A nurse came to talk to the woman around the time the sun was starting to go down, and Aqua rose to her feet with a sigh.

She left to call her mother from the payphone outside. Belle requested that her daughter return home… but respected her wish to stake out her potentially-dying friend's almost-bedside.

As soon as Aqua stepped back inside, she regretted ever having left. The nurse and the secretary both turned to look at her solemnly. A chill ran down her spine. She recognized the look of incoming doom.

The nurse stepped up. "You're Aqua?"

"Yes…"

She was only distantly aware of the conversation that took place next. The apology. The warning that she was only being given this information because Ven's only listed family had been arrested that same morning. And because the nurse felt bad for the poor girl camped out in the lobby all day. The complex medical explanation they used as an excuse for why they had not been able to save her friend.

Aqua felt herself freeze from the inside out. There was no dramatic wail of grief. She remained standing, though on shaking legs. The nurse appeared genuinely sympathetic, not that it made much difference. Ven was still _dead_.

Dead.

The word echoed in her mind, each repetition bringing with it a new wave of pain. That one word was drowning out everything else.

Drowning.

That was a good word for grief. It was certainly the only way to describe her inability to breathe right now. She'd lost both of her boys in the same week…

The nurse offered to take her to Ven's body, and Aqua let herself be led away. They'd already moved him into the morgue. In a town like this, surely his spot in intensive care had already been claimed by someone else's emergency.

Aqua suspected it was against regulations, but the nurse left her alone with her grief in front of Ven's body. The door to the morgue was heavy, and the sound it made when it closed held a note of finality.

The room itself was dim, but not as cold as she'd been expecting. She stood over Ven's body for what felt like hours before she finally gathered the courage to pull down the sheet and look at his face.

Although she'd known what to expect, she let out a gasp at the sight. They hadn't had time to perform an autopsy yet, but the garish bruise at his temple made it clear to all how he had died. When she was finally able to tear her eyes away from this blemish, she was struck by how sickeningly _normal_ Ven looked. Unnaturally pale, yes, but other than that… he could have been sleeping. God, he looked so young…

"Aqua?"

She jumped at the sound of his voice. He _sounded_ young. And scared. She really shouldn't have been surprised to see him there. It wasn't uncommon for a person to linger where they had died.

Sure enough, the spirit of her friend now stood beside what had once been his body. She just narrowly missed being completely swept away by the next wave of sadness. It hurt to realize Ven was no longer capable of laying claim to anything.

"Do you remember what happened?" she asked gently.

Ven's image shimmered a little in the harsh lighting, but other than that he looked exactly the same as when he'd last been alive… right down to the horrible bruise on his temple. He was staring, transfixed, down at his own face.

"That can't be me…" he said in a breathy, horrified voice.

"Ven—"

"No!" he roared, cutting her off and disappearing, the lights fluttering in his wake.

He reappeared a second later, obscured by the shadowy corner of the room. His voice was little more than a panicked whisper when he spoke again. "I can't be dead yet… I haven't done enough. I don't _want_ to be dead!"

"Ventus," she tried again, but he disappeared, and this time she knew he wouldn't be returning to this dreadful room. Once again, she was alone with the empty shell that had been her friend just a few hours earlier.

She slowly bent her head and closed her eyes. She leaned forward until their foreheads were touching. She whispered her goodbyes into his hair, and a second later the nurse returned, announcing that her time was up.

 **…**

Aqua was not able to muster up the cheer and optimism she had been intending for her first jail visit. She didn't want to make things any harder on Terra, but she had arrived with the worst possible news.

The girl endured the metal detectors and searches with an uncharacteristic grimness. She knew that if she didn't keep her mouth set so firmly, she would surely break down. She had not seen Ven since their night in the morgue, but she was sure he was still out there, lingering, somewhere. She'd been a medium long enough to recognize the feel of an unresolved soul.

The meeting room reminded her a little of a concrete cafeteria. Other prisoners at other tables were already meeting with their families when Terra was finally brought out.

His face was set into a hard expression, but there were no new injuries, no drastic weight loss. He appeared to be taking his imprisonment as best he could. And she was about to shatter all his progress in a single visit.

He dropped into the seat across from her, and the guards took their places along the walls.

"How's life on the outside?" he greeted, and Aqua had to wonder how put-on his casualness was. Terra seemed far too relaxed. Surely, he couldn't truly be happier in prison?

She took a deep breath, prepared to delve right into the story. "Ven…"

But she tripped over his name, and Terra's features darkened at her apparent distress. The older boy sighed. "What's he done now?"

A silence seemed to settle over the room as she related the story. The other conversations didn't actually stop, of course, but Aqua's senses narrowed until only her view of Terra remained. She watched as his posture became a little more rigid. Her heart broke a little as his carefully crafted calm began to crack. By the time she got to her time in the morgue, she couldn't look at him anymore.

The sound that tore itself out of Terra's throat when her tale was finished was awful and inhuman. She could only listen as he flew into a rage, intent on destroying as much of the room as possible before the guards could restrain him. She was still seated when they finally got the commotion under control, dragging Terra away, ordering the other prisoners back to their cells.

When it was all over, Aqua remained in her seat, head down, tears dripping into her lap. She didn't move until someone placed a hand on her shoulder and told her she'd have to leave.

Aqua returned the very next day, but Terra's visiting privileges had been revoked.

 **…**

The day of the funeral was disgustingly bright. The cemetery was quiet. Only a handful of people had shown up. A few of Ven's teachers, the priest, and Aqua. The other members of Terra's gang were nowhere in sight.

It was only once his casket was being lowered into the ground that she spotted Ven. He didn't look much better, but Aqua was just relieved that he had come.

The service was short, and soon they were the only two left. Ventus waited for her to cross to the other side of the grave, giving the freshly upturned dirt a wide berth. Her friend didn't raise his eyes from his own final resting place for a long time.

"Ven," she prompted at last. "Ven, it's over. I know it's not fair… but you need to move on. You don't belong on this side anymore. What can I do?"

" _Do_?" His eyes shone with pain. With tears. "I want my life back, Aqua."

She took a deep breath. She'd cried enough tears herself. This was part of her job. A difficult part, but a part she'd come to accept a long time ago.

"You know that's not possible, Ven. I wish I could tell you what's waiting on the other side. All I know is that it's got to be better than here. And you deserve that. You've lived your life, Ven. It's time to take the next step."

He gave her a sad little smile. "I don't know if I can yet, Aqua."

And then he was gone.

 **…**

Aqua looked everywhere for Ven. For the better part of the next month, she focused on nothing else. But Ventus was nowhere to be seen, and Terra had yet to earn back his visiting days. She hadn't felt this cut off from humanity since she was ten years old.

But, as she'd tried to tell Ven, life went on. She was still expected to show up to class and maintain her grades. Her mother was sympathetic, but firm. Aqua was expected to practice what she preached.

In the meantime, Mayor Saix's campaign against crime had slowed drastically. The rate at which he'd wanted to process crime and put away criminals just wasn't reasonable for a place like Hollow Bastion. The city couldn't afford to pay its workers that much overtime.

Therefore, Xehanort had yet to go to trial for Ven's murder.

But even the thought of the man rotting in a cell for the rest of eternity did little to comfort Aqua. Her friend's restless soul was still out there somewhere and, no matter where she was, she could focus on nothing else.

"I know it's not easy, Aqua. Believe me," her mother said one night, stroking her hair. "But this is what we do. It _is_ a gift… even if it doesn't always seem that way."

Aqua didn't arrive at school the next morning. She turned the corner, blocking her path from her mother's view, and immediately started for the rough side of town. She walked the familiar streets slowly. The clouds were just starting to gather. The air had a chill to it that was early for the season. In all, she was in for another dismal day.

All too soon, Aqua found herself standing in front of her friends' now abandoned house. It was still blocked off with yellow police tape, but there was no patrol… And the front door was open.

She had only been inside the boys' home a few times. Neither Ven nor Terra had been particularly comfortable here, so they usually met around town. But today, she had free reign. Aqua carefully closed the door behind her and stepped inside.

The electricity had been cut, and the light coming in through the window was dim. But she could still spot a suspicious stain on the living room carpet, so she quickly steered clear of that room. The kitchen was the only room she was really familiar with, and it appeared not to have been touched.

She continued on, in that same slow manner, further back into the house, toward the bedrooms. She opted to avoid the master bedroom as well, and the next room she came to was clearly Terra's. It was neat and organized and looked barely lived in.

Which meant that the only room left had to belong to Ven.

It couldn't have been more different. Bed unmade, clothes and random possessions scattered around his floor. But the most striking thing of all was Ventus himself, standing amidst the mess.

"Ven," she breathed, just loud enough to attract his attention.

When he looked up, everything about the boy just seemed… brighter. His eyes were alert, and the bruise on his temple had begun to fade, which could only be a good sign.

"This is it, isn't it?" he asked sadly.

"I'm so sorry, Ven. I wish it hadn't turned out this way… But things will be better for you. It's just meant to be."

"I know… I'll leave soon, Aqua. I just… I can't help feeling like there's something left for me to do here, on this side of things. Maybe it's just… I don't want to be forgotten."

"You won't be, Ven," she promised tearfully. "I will always love both of you."

When he was alive, he might have blushed uncomfortably or told her off for being sappy. Now, he just gave her one last sad smile.

 **…**

That night, Aqua stood at her bedroom window for a long time. She couldn't explain what was happening, exactly, but she'd been connected to the Far Shore long enough to know it was something big.

The stars were obscured by the clouds that had rolled in that morning. She had just spotted the first snowflakes when a beam of light flashed brightly in the distance. And though it was quite far away, Aqua heard someone speak very clearly.

"You, with nowhere to go and nowhere to return… I grant you a place to belong. My name is Yato. Bearing a posthumous name, you shall remain here. With this name, I make thee my servant. With this name and its alternate, I use my life to make thee a Regalia! Thou art Yuki! As Regalia, Setsu! Come… Sekki!"

And just as quickly, her mind was silent, the tingling in her limbs disappeared. The night was still.

"Did you feel that?"

Aqua turned to see her mother standing behind her with a serene smile on her face. Belle said, by way of explanation, "The gods are very active tonight."

Aqua turned back to her window, an extraordinary peace settled over her. Terra may have scoffed, called such talk the thing of fairy tales, but Aqua knew her mother was right. Just as she knew that Ven was no longer with them.

 _Yukine_ , she mouthed his new name silently, knowing it would soon fade from her mind.

The girl closed her eyes and let her emotions wash over her. The time had finally come to let her friend go. And so she took her time in remembering.

Her friend… A kindhearted boy who'd wanted so badly to be tough. A soul so pure even the gods had taken notice.

Later, Terra would be sentenced to life in prison for killing Xehanort while incarcerated together, and Aqua would move on with her life. But this is how she would remember her friend, forevermore.

 **Holy shit, guys… It's done. This is about twice as long as my previous longest one-shot ever.**

 **I know crossover fics don't get a lot of traffic, but please feel free to tell me what you thought if you've made it this far.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Noragami.**


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